


Maybe Someday

by TempestuousSerenity



Series: Acetalia Week 2019 [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Aphobia, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Coming Out, Gen, Mentioned FACE Family, Staying in the Closet, the FACE family is a very dysfunctional family :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-09-24 06:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20353912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TempestuousSerenity/pseuds/TempestuousSerenity
Summary: America accidentally comes out as aroace to his best friend and considers coming out to his family.Written for Acetalia Week 2019 Day 5 - Fear





	Maybe Someday

**Author's Note:**

> tw for mentioned aphobia/acephobia

America had known he was aromantic and asexual for a solid decade.

However, only one other nation knew about it.

* * *

Japan found out about it by accident. To be fair, though, America hadn’t tried very hard to hide it while around him.

They had been sitting side-by-side on the couch and watching a movie together when America made an offhanded remark about how ridiculous the hero on-screen was being, doing absurd things just to woo the heroine. He didn’t even remember what he said, but it obviously included the term “aro” because after a moment of stumped silence, Japan turned to him and asked, “What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“What does _‘aro’_ mean?” Japan prompted, pronouncing the unfamiliar English word carefully.

America sat bolt upright, mentally kicking himself for slipping up like that. He had promised himself he would keep it a secret! Honestly, he always let himself get way too comfortable when he was with Japan. _Stupid, Stupid, stupid__—_

“It’s, uh,” America rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s short for ‘aromantic.’”

“And what does_ ‘aromantic’ _mean?”

“It means...that someone doesn’t feel romantic attraction.”

Japan mulled this over as the action scene intensified on the TV screen before them, sending flashes of color throughout the dark room.

“And you are aromantic?”

A small part of America panicked. He hadn’t outright admitted it to anyone yet. “Well, uh...you know_—_I mean_—_”

“—I think,” Japan began, cutting off his ramblings, “I think that I am aromantic as well.”

For once, America was stunned into silence. That had been the last thing he'd expected to hear his best friend say.

“O-or maybe, just a little bit.”

“Just a little bit?” America asked, finding his voice again.

There was an explosion on the TV screen. It might have been from the flickering light, but America could have sworn that Japan’s face grew redder. America could feel that his own face was on fire. They had never discussed relationships before.

“Falling in love is...rare for me. There’s been maybe three instances in a little over two thousand years. Most of the time, I don’t...” he trailed off.

“That sounds like gray-romantic, or maybe demiromantic.”

“There’s a word for it.” Japan didn’t phrase it like question. He sounded astonished, like he had just come to a realization.

Silence settled over them again as they both returned their focus to the movie. When it seemed that the awkward conversation had finally passed, America was about to release the breath he had been holding when Japan suddenly said, “So, if ‘aro’ means ‘aromantic,’ then what does _‘ace’_ mean?”

_Shit._

* * *

In the months following their strange conversation, America and Japan found themselves talking more openly about their relationships; or rather, their lack thereof.

One night, America confessed to Japan that he was glad he came out to him, since Japan was the only one he could talk to about this stuff. Back at his house, where his family swooped in often to see him, it felt like he was always maintaining an act.

“If it bothers you so much, why don’t you just tell your family?” Japan suggested.

Why _d__idn’__t_ he tell his family? If he was upfront about it, they might just accept him as he was, without any snide comments or uncomfortable questions. He wanted to tell them, he really did; he had never liked keeping secrets. Secrets always weighed down on him until they completely crushed him.

America thought about it. He thought about it hard, and after much deliberation, he finally came to a conclusion.

He absolutely, under no circumstances, could tell his family anything.

He could already hear England snorting, declaring with a derisive guffaw, “Asexual? So you can reproduce without a partner? You’re a single-celled organism?”

France, he thought, might respect his feelings, but the shock of the revelation might actually kill him. To think that the younger brother of France, the country of love, would want nothing to do with romance or sex! It was unthinkable. He could imagine all too clearly France’s broken expression as he begged the question, “Where did I go wrong in raising you?”

Canada, he knew, would accept him with open arms, regardless of what he identified as. But still...

It wasn't that he didn’t trust Canada. Canada was his twin brother, after all, and there was once a time when they told each other everything. But Canada was just too close to the people America was trying to hide his orientation from. He couldn’t risk it.

Yes, as alluring as being honest sounded, it was just not possible.

So for now, he would bottle up his feelings and keep them hidden. He would laugh where appropriate whenever England made a vulgar joke, he would feign interest when France gave him sex and dating advice he would never use, and he would make up some excuse when Canada inevitably asked, “Are you seeing anyone?”

Maybe someday he would tell them, but that day was in the far-off future and out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> "Are they watching a romance movie or an action movie?"  
"Yes."


End file.
